The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-08-14
The Contents of the Wreck.

Chatsworth Special in Chicago News
Mrs Welsh, who accompanied Miss Pearl
Adams. the Peoria law librarian, tells thrilling
tale. Miss Adams is the best known among
Peorias wounded and lies badly hurt at Piper
City, with doctors specially out her relief
in attendance. Mrs Welsh says that when the
chair coaches telescoped she was thrown forward,
fat She could neither move speak; her
hands were outstretched and she lay perfectly
conscious for several hours upon her face The
awful weight of beam crushed her chest
against the rubbish beneath, and when the
lief party reached her she was given up for dead.
The groans of the dying filed her soul with
told horror and anguish and the shrieks of girl
cruelty pinned Immediately above pierced every
fiber within her. One man seized her ankles
and tugged furiously to get her out and gave it
up: She he heard hnt him him say; .,a cant
way" he dropped her foot and
passed on to relieve those screaming for help.
Then another man came by and grasped the
ladys wrist. but he also gave up the task
hopeless attempt to secure a corpse, and it was
not until Mrs. Welsh lived through hours of
mental anguish and several more unsuccessful
attempts were made in her behalf that she was
eventually liberated. And yet this lady is but
slightly injured, though FRUSTRATED by the trials
of her imprisonment. Her experience is but
simple, abbreviated prelude to the long list in
the maelstrom of horrors that wiring the heart
OF the people with VICE.
Thomas Trimm, commercial traveller, says:
The lights went out, and instantly / found
myself wedgsd in IS in a wise between the door
of the CTR at my back and car seats. irons
beams, sticks and heap of humanity, dead and
alive all around me. soon found that my legs
were wedged in 80 that could not get out. 1
not hurt, and began TO feel around me
to learn what was holding my legs. It was
very dark, and could not see anything.
my chin was resting on top Of dead woman
and all around me were the bleeding dead and
wounded. Under my right arm a man
struggling and crying for helm, but in short
time knew that he was dead. The air was
filed with the most melancholy and heartrending
either in the wreck left at home aud others
begging for aid For three hours l remained In
that fix, and to add to the other horrors of
the situation could smell smoke and blaze
and sparks, and of course l thought the
were atire and believed that If aid did not come
soon would be roasted. The dread Of being
wedged in there with all my senses retained
and having fire slowly creeping upon me to
surely roast too horrible to be told-it
must be experienced to be fully realized
''At first when learned that not seris
ously injured, J. had hopes of getting out sooner
later, but when turned my head and, look
ing out, saw sparks my heart sank and longed
for my gun that whom the fire would be too
close to be bearable could end my life. tried
to get my pocket-knife out to if found that
/ was to be roasted, but could not get into my
pocket. Great beads of sweat down my
face, but my mouth and tongue parched.
Every and everything in was
confined in space about ten feet square and
about two thirds of those in the were killed
outright while all were injured more or less. l
the least hurt of any one in the car. Many
were offering gold watches and 800 to any
who would get them out The
worse than the women. One woman, although
severely wounded was trying with comforting
words to soothe the agony of the wounded and
dying around her. For more than two
hours came to their relief,
and during that time many audi
BILE pleas and prayers offered for
divine assistance. When assistance did come
the first thing asked for water. That was
an opportunity for the selfshness of humanity
to show itself. They would grab the water cup
from the lips of each other so eager were they
to moisten their own tongues. A small piece of
ice was given to the only living lady in that car,
and she generously shared it with all within her
reach. felt resigned to my situation when 1
l would not burn. knew then 1 would be res
cued"